Instant Pot Chicken Chili

As I've written about on this blog before, the Instant Pot is one of my absolute favorite kitchen tools.  I often use it for preparing individual ingredients (like rice, potatoes, and large cuts of meat), but it's also great for more complicated recipes like this one.  You can brown chicken, saute veggies, and cook the chili all in the same pot, meaning you also won't end up with a lot of dishes.  You can switch up the type of bean or spices as you like, but overall this is just a tasty, easy chili.  If your beans are a little on the older side, you might add a bit more time to the cooking.

Instant Pot Chicken Chili (adapted from Hip Pressure Cooking, original recipe here)
Makes lots!

2 cups dry kidney beans
Olive oil
1-1/2 to 2 pounds boneless chicken pieces, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 bell pepper, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dried thyme
2 T tomato paste
15-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve: sour cream, shredded cheese, minced herbs, or whatever else you like!

1. Soak the beans for several hours or overnight.  Drain and rinse before using.
2. Heat the Instant Pot on "Saute".  When hot, add a generous drizzle of olive oil and brown the chicken pieces on a couple of sides, working in batches if needed.  Transfer to a dish and set aside.
3. Add more oil if needed, and add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute a few minutes until softened.
4. Add the cumin and saute for another 30 seconds.
5. Stir in the browned chicken and soaked beans, along with the thyme, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth.
6. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.  Let the pressure release naturally, or quick release the pressure.  Stir in the cumin, then taste and add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for 5 minutes or so to thicken.
7. Ladle into bowls and serve with whatever toppings you like.

Slow-Cooked Fennel Salmon

I would never have thought to cook salmon at a low temperature for 40 minutes, but it actually works really well and leads to meltingly tender salmon.  Although the time is longer than a typical fish recipe, it's completely hands off so it's not a lot of work.  I am semi-obsessed with the sweet, licorice-like flavor of fennel, and here it gets used three ways-- fennel seeds and fronds on top of the salmon, and the bulb thinly sliced and cooked under the salmon.  You could also use the fennel bulb raw and tossed with a simple vinaigrette on the side, as a salad, if you prefer.

Slow-Cooked Fennel Salmon (adapted from the Bon Appetit Food Lover's Cleanse)

Servings vary based on how much salmon you cook

1 to 1-1/2 pounds salmon in one piece, with skin on

Salt and pepper

1 tsp fennel seeds (or another preferred herb or spice)

Minced fennel fronds (or another fresh herb)

Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with oil.

2. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place skin-down on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle the fennel seeds on top, along with the fennel fronds.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

3. Cook 30-40 minutes, until the salmon flakes when gently pressed.  Or, if cooking individually-sized fillets, they should take about 25 minutes.  

4. Peel the skin off the salmon and break into large chunks to serve.

Boston Beer-Steamed Mussels

This simple mussel recipe was the first one I made, and it's the one I make most often, but sometimes it's fun to change it up a bit.  This version uses beer in place of wine as the main liquid, which completely changes the flavors.  Even though I'm not a beer lover, I really like it in this dish -- it adds a nice bitterness.  Instead of the usual crusty bread, we served roasted potatoes for dipping, which turned out to be a fantastic idea.  Of course, if you want something quicker to prepare, you can always go for the usual baguette!

Boston Beer-Steamed Mussels (adapted from Sam Adams)
Serves 2-3 as a main dish with roasted potatoes

2 pounds mussels
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt
1 cup Sam Adams Boston Ale
A handful of fresh parsley, minced
Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, to serve

1. Clean and debeard the mussels.
2. Melt the butter and oil together in a large pot with a lid over medium heat. Add the leek, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt.  Cook for a few minutes, until the leeks are softened.
3. Add the ale and bring to a boil.  Add the mussels, give everything a quick stir, and cover.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 6 minutes.  Remove from the heat, sprinkle with parsley, and give the mussels a quick stir.  Serve with roasted potatoes for dipping in the sauce.

Instant Pot Red Curry Pork Soup

This curry has a thinner sauce than many and is very tasty all on its own as a soup.   Of course, you can serve it over rice if you prefer, but the sweet potatoes add enough of a "carb" element that it isn't really necessary.  The broth is a tasty mixture of coconut milk, red curry, and pork broth. In the broth is a combination of rich, tender pork; creamy sweet potatoes; and bright, crisp-tender green beans.   Of course, you can substitute other veggies if you have something else on hand that you prefer.  Lime juice and cilantro as garnishes make everything taste extra fresh.

Instant Pot Red Curry Pork Soup (adapted from Bon Appetit's Food Lover's Cleanse)

Vegetable oil

2 to 2-1/2 pounds bone-in country style pork ribs or 1 pound boneless pork shoulder cut into cubes

6 cups chicken broth

1 onion, chopped

Salt

1-1/2 T red curry paste

3/4 cup coconut milk (shake well before measuring)

1/2 tsp kaffir lime powder (optional)

1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 ounces green beans, sliced into 2-inch pieces

Cilantro and lime, to garnish

1. Heat the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil. When it gets hot, add the pork and brown well, working in batches.

2. Add all the pork back into the pot and add the chicken broth. Cook on manual for 25 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes, and then release remaining pressure.

3. Remove the pork to a plate at let cool slightly. Then remove the meat from the bones and shred.

4. Meanwhile, measure out 2-1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside.

5. In a separate pot, brown the onions in a little oil over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes.  Season with a little salt. Add the curry paste and stir to combine. 

6. Add the coconut milk, kaffir lime powder, and reserved chicken broth from cooking the pork. Bring to a boil, and add the sweet potatoes.  Cover. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

7. Add the reserved pork to the pot along with the green beans. Cover and cook 2 minutes, until everything is tender and hot. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

I made this ice cream cake last year for my husband's birthday, but am somehow just now getting around to posting it! Which is clearly a crime, because this cake is wonderful.  I figured out the components by combining several different recipes and ideas from around the Internet, plus our own flavor preferences.  It's very reminiscent of a Dairy Queen cake, with a bonus brownie layer because: life is always better with a bonus brownie layer.  Mint chocolate chip is my husband's favorite ice cream, so we ran with that flavor profile here.  But, of course, you can change up the ice cream flavor, cookie flavor, or even substitute a cookie or blondie base in place of the brownies.

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

In an 8-inch round springform pan, layer:

1. About half a box of prepared brownie mix (a thin layer), baked until just cooked.  Cool and freeze overnight.

2. Half a carton ice cream (I used Breyer's mint chocolate chip) -- beat in a stand mixer until smooth before adding to the pan.  Top that with chopped Oreos (I used mint Oreos) and a thick layer of hot fudge sauce (warmed until just pourable).  Freeze overnight.

3. Beat the other half of the ice cream until smooth, layer on top of the Oreo-hot fudge sauce layer, and then pop in the freezer.  Beat one cup of heavy cream with a little vanilla and a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar, and then spread on top of the ice cream cake.  Freeze until solid.

4. To serve, carefully remove the outer ring of the springform pan.  Heat up a knife under hot running water to easily slice the ice cream cake.

Orange-a-rita

This version of a margarita leans heavier toward the orange side of things than the lime side of things, but still isn't too sweet.  Because there are quite a few other ingredients besides the orange juice, the color isn't too different from a normal margarita, but you'll definitely be able to taste the difference.  You can adjust the amount of simple syrup to make this sweeter or tarter according to your preference.

Orange-a-rita
Serves 2

3 ounces tequila
2 ounces lime juice
2 ounces orange juice (strain through a fine-mesh strainer)
1/2 ounce orange liqueur
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Ice

Combine everything in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into glasses over ice.

Loaded baked potato soup

I am a big baked potato fan -- one of the most memorable is from the Big E Fair in New England:

This recipe is a fun way to get all the flavors of a baked potato in soup form -- perfect for a snowy day.  If you've got an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, the recipe is also super fast to prepare (and even with a regular pot of boiling water, it doesn't take too much longer).  Once the potatoes are cooked, they're turned into soup with the addition of milk, chicken stock, and sour cream.  Of course, you can sub in vegetable stock if you want to keep this vegetarian.  We topped our with traditional baked potato toppings -- green onions, bacon, and shredded cheese -- but you could use anything you like on a baked potato.  I think minced steamed broccoli and Cheddar would be very good as well.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup (adapted from Cooking Light)

Serves 4

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup flour

2 cups 2% milk

1 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup light sour cream

Salt and pepper

Toppings: shredded Cheddar, crispy bacon, minced chives or scallions, or anything else you like on your baked potatoes!

1. Cook the potatoes -- I use my pressure cooker (4 minutes on high pressure), although a pot of boiling water will work just as well (plan on about 10-15 minutes in that case).  Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan, and mash with a potato masher until they're as smooth or chunky as you like.

2. Combine the flour with about 1/2 cup milk in a medium bowl, and whisk until smooth.  Gradually whisk in the remaining milk and then the chicken stock.  Add to the potatoes, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the soup is thickened and bubbly.

3. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the sour cream.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

4. Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with your choice of favorite baked potato toppings.